Backed the Bird & Favorite Tools #3

First off check out this fun yard art that is a gift from my son-in-law.  Doesn't he just make you smile? I put him in the flower bed that I can see from my studio window so I can watch him bobbing and weaving in the breeze.

A closer look....I love his eyes.

Okay, back to claying. I finished backing the bird with clay. I used Pearl Kato tinted  light blue and lightly marbled it with alcohol inks.

First I pushed the wire bird into the sheet of clay and cut it out with an Exacto  knife.  When I am working with small amounts of liquid clay I use the lid from a medicine bottle.... not the child proof kind, the easy to remove kind.... like these. The caps are shallow and handy for seed beads and other small beads too.

So "My Favorite Tools for Day 3" is  medicine bottle lids, smaller water bottle lids and drinking straws.

Next I remove the wire and using a paint brush I "paint" the liquid clay along the edges and under the woven wire areas.

here is how it looks before I replace the wire.

Next I cut off a 1 1/2" piece of the straw, I cut the straw in half lengthwise and then cut each half lengthwise into two narrow pieces. These little pieces are handy to use as scoops.  I use one of the straw scoops to add a small amount of liquid clay to the bottle cap.

Then I use a straw scoop  to add a small amount of bronze PearlEx to the liquid clay. 

 I also use the scoop to mix the PearlEx into the liquid clay. 

If you are wondering what the heck I am doing all this mixing .... I'm going to use the bronze liquid clay to paint the beak on my bird.  I made his eye with a small ball of clay that I indented with a stylus, I secured it to the eye area on the wire with a small dollop of liquid clay I then added liquid clay and a tiny black glass micro ball to complete the eye. 

and now he is ready for the oven. Once he comes out of the oven I will use my heat gun to shine his beak and his eye. 

Done for now.  See you tomorrow. 

Thanks for stopping by. 

Colored Wire Birdie & Favorite Tool #2

I made a woven wire birdie while watching tv last night,

I used a sheet of designer paper.... that I got on sale at Michael's

Here is a close up.... (more pretty paper)  His legs are moveable and his topknot is tinted cultured pearls.   I will put a clay back on him tomorrow.

and here is my favorite tool(s) for day 2

Some time ago I bought a package of slender steel double end knitting needles in the yarn department of ...where else?  Michael's.  I made my own bead tray from a shallow Hefty aluminum pan.  I punched holes on each side and insert the needles into the holes like so......works great.

I am going to go play with clay now.... when I was out for me evening walk I thought of how I want to back my birdie....I'm gonna go give it a try before I forget.

Thanks for stopping by..... see you tomorrow. 

One of my favorite tools Day 1

I have to do this really fast...  tonight is my tv night

One of my favorite tools that I use to make bead holes is a wooden skewer  or pick that originally was the handle for a pinwheel party favor... it makes a nice size hole for waxed cotton cord.

Here is how the finished hole looks.

One of the tools Anita mentions on  her Blog Melobeau   (# 13 on her list) is "tiny cocktail straws to punch jumpring holes".  I use coffee stirrers that I first used to stir my coffee at Bread Company.... they are basically the same thing as the cocktail straws... Anita snips off the end of the straw with the clay inside... I use my pinwheel skewer... which just happens to fit perfectly inside the coffee stirrer to push out the clay.... saves me trips to bread company for more coffee... and straws.

See how nicely the skewer fits inside the straw and see what a nice clean hole it makes in the clay.

Making the hole with the stirrer straw....

and here I am pushing the clay out of the straw with the skewer... pretty neat!

Okay, gotta go ... more tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by.

Canes, Beads and Wire work

First....before I forget... I want to recommend you visit my friend Anita's blog she has a helpful list of "My favorite 25 Polymer Clay tools, Gadgets & Glues" on melobeau blog .

It got me to thinking about  the tools and gadgets that I use most often.... hummm...maybe I will make my own list to share ....  and you all can add your favorite things  too.....  good idea?  Just thinking out loud here... I could blog about one or two items per day instead of a long list all at once.... to much work..... and the one or two item thing per day would get me back to blogging more often  again.... yeah, that sounds like it would work.  I'll start that tomorrow.... right now I'll show you what I've been working on the last few days. 

Here is what is on my work table right now.  I made some Skinner canes, bulls eye canes and border canes and ended up with a bulls eye cane with a border.... 

 Click on the photos for a closer look.

Heather and I went to Michael's yesterday... polymer clay was on sale for 99 cents.... and they had lots of other things on sale too..... yikes!!  They had designer paper 50% off, storage units 50% off.... beads and findings 40% off.... plus I had a 20% off coupon which included things on sale... well who could resist all that?.... not me.  I don't do scrap booking but I love those gorgeous pads of designer paper... and  I can find other uses besides scrap booking...  right?..... They make great background when I take photos... so be prepared  for lots of coolness!

and here is a close up of the cane on a cool background

Assorted beads made from scraps.... they haven't been cured yet. 

I used gold, amber and brown wire to make a wire goldfish.... and took the photo on another cool background paper... I'm trying to decide if I want to back him with clay or leave him as is....

This is one of my "weird" creatures.  I have a drawer full of weird creatures.... I don't plan them, they just happen. (Note the cool background)

I also made a mixed media necklace.... and used a chain I bought at Michaels, it wasn't on sale but remember I did have that 20% off coupon....  and it looks really good on yet another gorgeous paper background. 

it also looks good on this background...... I couldn't decide which photo to post... when in doubt do both.

I used a multicolored bead surrounded with a woven wire design and metal beads.  I like to mix different color metal wires and beads.

Okay.... That is it for today.... 

Thanks for stopping by. 

Mixed Media Cardinal Brooch

I finished the Cardinal...

I was going to back him with the flower cane that I posted last time but the center of the flower was a problem, he looked like he had eyes on his body.... I should have taken a photo... but I didn't.  Oh well.  I also made more pendants in the same colors.

Click on the photos for a closer look.

Instead of the flower cane I used a jellyroll cane on a kinda plaid background.... here's a close up

Though you might like to see how I did the back. 

I had fun playing with the flower cane and some scraps from a Skinner blend cane.  I made pendants and a couple beads.

I have lots of odds and ends beads. I was sorting through a box.... here are a few I like.  Do you have a stash of orphan beads?  Hummm..... maybe one of these days we should have an orphan bead swap.

Okay, that's it for today, mainly I wanted to show you the cardinal. Hope my friend likes him.  Shhhhhh, It's a surprise... no one tell her.... okay?

Thanks for stopping by.

Mixed Media Necklaces & More

Our weather has been much nicer, we've even had several days of rain, the grass is getting green again.

I've been going for walks and working in the yard, going to doctors, doing a little shopping and I've been playing with clay and wire.... finished a couple necklaces and some odds and ends.

I'm working on a gift for a friend,  a mixed media Cardinal brooch.  I finished the wire frame, now need to back it with clay.   I made a flower cane that I may use for  the background, I will have to see how it looks.  I used the cane to make a pendant/brooch.  I also made a wire wrapped ring.

Click on the photos for a closer look.

Close up of the pendant and cane. I used gold PearlEx  on the border of the pendant and in the center of the "dots".  

Close up of the wire cardinal.

Close up of the wire wrapped ring.... it looks really cool on... my attempts at taking a photo with one hand didn't work so you'll just have to take my word for it.

I also finished a "pumpkin patch" brooch that I've had laying around.

Here is the first of the two necklaces I finished.  I like the colors for fall. I used brown wire,  goldstone and blue fluorite beads for the chain.

The second necklace is a long twisted bead in the center with metal cones on each end. I made matching beads from the same clay sandwiched between lacy metal links and finished the necklace with silver rubber cord.

That it for this week.  I'm working on new canes that I hope to have done in a few days.

Thanks for stopping by.

Polymer Clay Mica Shift

I know "all good things must come to an end". Alas.... tomorrow is the last Clay Pen Chat.....  A BIG "Thank You" and lots of hugs to Jackie for being our most capable host for the last 8 years, she has done an outstanding job and we all love her for providing a  friendly warm place for us to get together each week.   I am sorry to see it end, it was a joy to get to know so many fellow clayers, share ideas, and get to know them and their families.

Our final theme is Mica Shift.  

I made a few critters and a brooch.  Click on the photos for a closer look. 

              Three little mice beads and a crazy cat.  I love that stamp. 

               Another cool cat and the same little mice from  the other side. 

 I also made a brooch in Shades of Autumn Gold. I used a leaf design texture sheet for the design.  I filled the center with tinted cultured pearls secured with amber wire. 

I had planned to make some "under the sea" mica shift tiles but time go away from me... I'll save them for another time. 

I've been working in the yard.... it's looking pretty good.  

Check out the Morning Glories on top of the gazebo, they look good with the trumpet flowers.  Hummingbirds love them... me too! Most are purple, a few are pink.  Next year I'll plant blue ones too. 

Close up of a purple morning glory.

I can't recall the name of this flower.... I'm sure it will come to me later. 

The zinna's are starting to fade but this bunch still looks pretty good, I like the pastel colors. 

I planted autumn mums today, I'll take photos tomorrow. 

Okay.... That's it for today.

Thanks for stopping by.